CDE Practice Exam 1 Questions and
Answers Updated 2026
A community pharmacy wants to offer a fee-for-service diabetes patient education program to its
customers. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate way to market this new program?
A. Place an ad in the regional paper
B. Place flyers in every prescription bag
C. Send out letters to local hospital administrators
D. Contact the top 3 insurance companies in the state - AnswerB. Place flyers in every prescription
bag
In a fee-for-service environment, where patients pay out-of-pocket, the most efficient advertising
needs to be directly to the consumer.
A 35 year-old woman with T1DM present to the clinic for f/u of self monitoring blood glucose. Her
A1c is 12%, and during the interview she reports that she thinks her boyfriend is interested in a
younger, thinner woman. Which of the following is the best f/u question related to this patient's
concerns?
A. Do you think that your boyfriend might stay with you if you become blind?
B. Are you afraid that insulin might cause you to gain weight?
C. Do your parents know that your blood glucose levels are poorly controlled?
D. What time of the day do you check your glucose? - AnswerB. Are you afraid that insulin might
cause you to gain weight?
The question's focus is on assessment and screening for eating disorders, of which intentional insulin
omission is one. Effective assessments reveal lifestyle issues and facts, are patient centered, and
facilitate honest self-disclosure.
Routine labs for a patient with a history of normal glucose tolerance revealed a fasting glucose level
of 113 mg/dL. What does the result indicate?
A. Normal blood glucose
B. Impaired fasting glucose
C. Diabetes
D. Gestational diabetes - AnswerB. Impaired fasting glucose
A blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dL indicates impaired fasting glucose. A normal
fasting glucose is <100 gm/dL and diabetes is indicated by a fasting blood glucose of >126 mg/dL.
,SQ presents for a routine visit. While performing a foot exam you note "dependent ruber" (swelling
and redness) when his feet are in a dependent position and pallor on elevation. You suspect:
A. diabetic neuropathy
B. peripheral arterial disease
C. varicose veins
D. Charcot joint - AnswerB. peripheral arterial disease
Swelling and redness when the feet hang down are signs of poor circulation and peripheral vascular
disease. Diabetic neuropathy may accompany peripheral vascular disease; however these visually
observable changes are not usually present. Varicose veins and Charcot joint are also not usual
causes of foot swelling and redness.
An individual newly diagnosed with T2DM presents for education. What should the educator do
first?
A. Provide a detailed overview of the pathophysiology of T2DM.
B. Assess the individual's interests, needs, and problems
C. Discuss chronic complication risk
D. Review a carbohydrate counting meal plan - AnswerB. Assess the individual's interests, needs, and
problems
Assessment is the first step in the process of providing diabetes education. By understanding what
the interests, needs, and problems of the person with diabetes are, the educator is more likely to
provide appropriate and useful information that will assist the individual to meet desired outcomes.
The other choices may well become part of the education plan, but this follows assessment.
Which of the following medications should NOT be used in pregnancy?
A. Human insulin
B. Metformin
C. Methlydopa
D. HMG-CoA reducates inhibitors - AnswerD. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors
Statin drugs are category X and should not be used in pregnant women. Insulin, metformin, and
methyldopa have adequate safety date to support use during pregnancy.
A patient tells you that he wants to verify the accuracy of his meter. You tell him that the testing
(meter vs laboratory determination)
A. should be done in a fasting state
B. is valid as long as he performs the testing 1 hour or less apart
,C. result will be ~15% higher than the laboratory value if his meter reports whole blood glucose level
values
D. should be done simultaneously using a drop of blood from the venipuncture - AnswerA. should be
done in a fasting state
When verifying the accuracy of a meter, the bg meter results should be compared against a
laboratory value, not another meter. Only fasting values can be measured since postal values will
differ between the capillary blood (as measured on the meter) and the venous blood (as measure in
the lab). These should be done at the same time. The meter result would be ~15% LOWER than the
laboratory result if the meter reports whole blood glucose values. Applying a drop of blood from the
venipuncture needle is not acceptable, as the meter strips will give false reading if venous blood is
used.
FN has T1DM. When is testing for ketones the most appropriate?
A. Daily in the morning after an overnight fast
B. Prior to a decrease in insulin dosage
C. With consistently elevated bg
D. Prior to exercise - AnswerC. with consistently elevated bg
Ketone testing is appropriate during illness, when bg levels are consistently elevated, during weight
loss and pregnancy.
A 73 year old man with T2DM presents to the clinic complaining that he cannot pay for his
medications any longer. He reports that one of his prescriptions went up from $5 to $100. Which of
the following additional questions would be MOST helpful in assessing this problem?
A. Did you go to a different chain pharmacy?
B. Did you recently change insurance?
C. When was the last time you had any prescriptions filled?
D. Did you ask for a 3-month supply? - AnswerB. Did you recently change insurance?
Effective assessments should reveal potential barriers to self-mgmt. Financial concerns and a alack of
adequate insurance represent a major obstacle to care and therefore would be the appropriate place
to begin.
A single mother with T2DM is treated with 3 oral agents plus a bedtime injection of glargine. She
presents to the clinic appearing disheveled. Her bg log reveals widely fluctuating bg values day to
day. She states that her days are filled with transporting her 3 children from one activity to another
and that she does not have time for herself. Which of the following is the best way to address her
fluctuating bg values?
A. Increase the bedtime insulin and monitor bg frequently
, B. Simplify her diabetes treatment plan to avoid missed doses
C. Switch from oral agents and insulin injections to insulin pump therapy
D. Ask the patient to keep a 3 month food diary - AnswerB. Simplify her diabetes treatment plan to
avoid missed doses
The key problem is time pressure and diabetes treatment plan complexity.
The instructional team for a diabetes self-management education program MUST include, at least a
A. physician and a registered nurse
B. registered nurse and a social worker
C. registered dietitian and an exercise physiologist
D. registered nurse, a registered dietitian, or a registered pharmacist - AnswerD. registered nurse, a
registered dietitian, or a registered pharmacist
The National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education/Training specify in Standard 5 that
at least one of the program's instructors must be a RN, RD, or pharmacist.
An 86 year old woman presents for an initial diabetes education evaluation. She lives in an assisted
living environment and is unaccompanied today. She reports taking 15 medications each day but
does not know their names or their indications. Which of the following is the best sources of an
additional medication history information?
A. Contact the local pharmacy that fills her prescriptions
B. Call the podiatrist that she visits each month
C. Contact her daughter at work
D. Have the patient identity drug pictures in the Physician's Desk Reference - AnswerA. Contact the
local pharmacy that fills her prescription
The local pharmacy will be able to provide objective data and estimates of long-term adherence.
A 45 year old Hispanic man with T2DM for 10 years refuses to start insulin after failing oral agents.
Which of the following is the MOST appropriate response for the educator?
A. Educate the patient on the increased risk of microvascular complications
B. Ask the patient why he does not want to start insulin
C. Reassure the patient that insulin injections won't hurt
D. Ask the patient if he has any family members with diabetes complications - AnswerB. Ask the
patient why he does not want to start insulin
Answers Updated 2026
A community pharmacy wants to offer a fee-for-service diabetes patient education program to its
customers. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate way to market this new program?
A. Place an ad in the regional paper
B. Place flyers in every prescription bag
C. Send out letters to local hospital administrators
D. Contact the top 3 insurance companies in the state - AnswerB. Place flyers in every prescription
bag
In a fee-for-service environment, where patients pay out-of-pocket, the most efficient advertising
needs to be directly to the consumer.
A 35 year-old woman with T1DM present to the clinic for f/u of self monitoring blood glucose. Her
A1c is 12%, and during the interview she reports that she thinks her boyfriend is interested in a
younger, thinner woman. Which of the following is the best f/u question related to this patient's
concerns?
A. Do you think that your boyfriend might stay with you if you become blind?
B. Are you afraid that insulin might cause you to gain weight?
C. Do your parents know that your blood glucose levels are poorly controlled?
D. What time of the day do you check your glucose? - AnswerB. Are you afraid that insulin might
cause you to gain weight?
The question's focus is on assessment and screening for eating disorders, of which intentional insulin
omission is one. Effective assessments reveal lifestyle issues and facts, are patient centered, and
facilitate honest self-disclosure.
Routine labs for a patient with a history of normal glucose tolerance revealed a fasting glucose level
of 113 mg/dL. What does the result indicate?
A. Normal blood glucose
B. Impaired fasting glucose
C. Diabetes
D. Gestational diabetes - AnswerB. Impaired fasting glucose
A blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dL indicates impaired fasting glucose. A normal
fasting glucose is <100 gm/dL and diabetes is indicated by a fasting blood glucose of >126 mg/dL.
,SQ presents for a routine visit. While performing a foot exam you note "dependent ruber" (swelling
and redness) when his feet are in a dependent position and pallor on elevation. You suspect:
A. diabetic neuropathy
B. peripheral arterial disease
C. varicose veins
D. Charcot joint - AnswerB. peripheral arterial disease
Swelling and redness when the feet hang down are signs of poor circulation and peripheral vascular
disease. Diabetic neuropathy may accompany peripheral vascular disease; however these visually
observable changes are not usually present. Varicose veins and Charcot joint are also not usual
causes of foot swelling and redness.
An individual newly diagnosed with T2DM presents for education. What should the educator do
first?
A. Provide a detailed overview of the pathophysiology of T2DM.
B. Assess the individual's interests, needs, and problems
C. Discuss chronic complication risk
D. Review a carbohydrate counting meal plan - AnswerB. Assess the individual's interests, needs, and
problems
Assessment is the first step in the process of providing diabetes education. By understanding what
the interests, needs, and problems of the person with diabetes are, the educator is more likely to
provide appropriate and useful information that will assist the individual to meet desired outcomes.
The other choices may well become part of the education plan, but this follows assessment.
Which of the following medications should NOT be used in pregnancy?
A. Human insulin
B. Metformin
C. Methlydopa
D. HMG-CoA reducates inhibitors - AnswerD. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors
Statin drugs are category X and should not be used in pregnant women. Insulin, metformin, and
methyldopa have adequate safety date to support use during pregnancy.
A patient tells you that he wants to verify the accuracy of his meter. You tell him that the testing
(meter vs laboratory determination)
A. should be done in a fasting state
B. is valid as long as he performs the testing 1 hour or less apart
,C. result will be ~15% higher than the laboratory value if his meter reports whole blood glucose level
values
D. should be done simultaneously using a drop of blood from the venipuncture - AnswerA. should be
done in a fasting state
When verifying the accuracy of a meter, the bg meter results should be compared against a
laboratory value, not another meter. Only fasting values can be measured since postal values will
differ between the capillary blood (as measured on the meter) and the venous blood (as measure in
the lab). These should be done at the same time. The meter result would be ~15% LOWER than the
laboratory result if the meter reports whole blood glucose values. Applying a drop of blood from the
venipuncture needle is not acceptable, as the meter strips will give false reading if venous blood is
used.
FN has T1DM. When is testing for ketones the most appropriate?
A. Daily in the morning after an overnight fast
B. Prior to a decrease in insulin dosage
C. With consistently elevated bg
D. Prior to exercise - AnswerC. with consistently elevated bg
Ketone testing is appropriate during illness, when bg levels are consistently elevated, during weight
loss and pregnancy.
A 73 year old man with T2DM presents to the clinic complaining that he cannot pay for his
medications any longer. He reports that one of his prescriptions went up from $5 to $100. Which of
the following additional questions would be MOST helpful in assessing this problem?
A. Did you go to a different chain pharmacy?
B. Did you recently change insurance?
C. When was the last time you had any prescriptions filled?
D. Did you ask for a 3-month supply? - AnswerB. Did you recently change insurance?
Effective assessments should reveal potential barriers to self-mgmt. Financial concerns and a alack of
adequate insurance represent a major obstacle to care and therefore would be the appropriate place
to begin.
A single mother with T2DM is treated with 3 oral agents plus a bedtime injection of glargine. She
presents to the clinic appearing disheveled. Her bg log reveals widely fluctuating bg values day to
day. She states that her days are filled with transporting her 3 children from one activity to another
and that she does not have time for herself. Which of the following is the best way to address her
fluctuating bg values?
A. Increase the bedtime insulin and monitor bg frequently
, B. Simplify her diabetes treatment plan to avoid missed doses
C. Switch from oral agents and insulin injections to insulin pump therapy
D. Ask the patient to keep a 3 month food diary - AnswerB. Simplify her diabetes treatment plan to
avoid missed doses
The key problem is time pressure and diabetes treatment plan complexity.
The instructional team for a diabetes self-management education program MUST include, at least a
A. physician and a registered nurse
B. registered nurse and a social worker
C. registered dietitian and an exercise physiologist
D. registered nurse, a registered dietitian, or a registered pharmacist - AnswerD. registered nurse, a
registered dietitian, or a registered pharmacist
The National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education/Training specify in Standard 5 that
at least one of the program's instructors must be a RN, RD, or pharmacist.
An 86 year old woman presents for an initial diabetes education evaluation. She lives in an assisted
living environment and is unaccompanied today. She reports taking 15 medications each day but
does not know their names or their indications. Which of the following is the best sources of an
additional medication history information?
A. Contact the local pharmacy that fills her prescriptions
B. Call the podiatrist that she visits each month
C. Contact her daughter at work
D. Have the patient identity drug pictures in the Physician's Desk Reference - AnswerA. Contact the
local pharmacy that fills her prescription
The local pharmacy will be able to provide objective data and estimates of long-term adherence.
A 45 year old Hispanic man with T2DM for 10 years refuses to start insulin after failing oral agents.
Which of the following is the MOST appropriate response for the educator?
A. Educate the patient on the increased risk of microvascular complications
B. Ask the patient why he does not want to start insulin
C. Reassure the patient that insulin injections won't hurt
D. Ask the patient if he has any family members with diabetes complications - AnswerB. Ask the
patient why he does not want to start insulin
